Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Worship the Creator”. An interesting title for this week, given our entire quarterly sub-titled “Ministering to those in Need”. Does “who” you worship have something to do with “how” you treat others and minister to those in need? Absolutely!! And so the title “Worship the Creator” is also an injunction “that brings blessing to all those around the worshippers of God” (quarterly for August 7). As the lesson for that day goes on to state, quoting the SDA Bible Commentary, “The true purpose of religion is to release men from their burdens of sin, to eliminate intolerance and oppression, and to promote justice, liberty and peace”. Amen! True worship is about following our Lord. Doing as He would do if He were here in our place. This raises a most vital question for all of us. That question is, just what is our “church” to be? Is it to be a place of education only? Are we missing the point of “church”? Is it to be just about “me and my sweet Jesus”? Or is church to be about equipping us for service? And if so, how? We must not blindly follow our worship “tradition” handed down across the centuries (God forbid!!). Nor should we change just to change (God forbid!!). Truth is truth. But the way truth is presented must adapt.
In the page just prior to our lesson this week is an advertisement from the soon to be disbanded ABC (Adventist Book Center) as well as an informational page on TMI (Total Member Involvement). Both pages contain some provocative ideas. The book advertisement says “It is not enough to stay inside the walls of a church and shout out at the community, ‘Come and see!’ Come and see what? We need to take Christ’s love to the places where people are – at the mall, supermarkets, laundromats, schools, places of work, restaurants, coffee shops and so forth. People are not coming to us; we have to go to them!” Yes. So true. So does this change what “church” is? What worship is? Is our typical Sabbath “worship” service need some alteration? And the informational page on TMI. It suggests some of those changes to our worship service. Do any of these suggestions make you a little anxious? Does it change the way you may think about our “worship”? In many ways, I hope it does. Isn’t it time we evaluated our “mission” and the manner in which we fulfill it?
For so many, most churches are like stepping back in time. The building, the modes of worship can be something that “turns-off” a younger generation. Are we to adopt the practices of the world in order to attract the youth? Oh, I hope not! The “world” does their worldly thing better than we ever could. But the church and its practices can be a stumbling block for some. We all know the architecture and the worship style are not what is important. But would we want to turn any one person away because of it?
We do have something to offer, though, to the young and the old. We offer them all an opportunity to become engaged in active love for our neighbor. Church needs to be a hospital for sinners, true. But our healing comes from our reaching out to serve others. As we seek to bless others, we are blessed. Alas, for many church can be just a small notch above entertainment. I show up and I am entertained (or maybe challenged a bit). But I can attend without any real involvement or commitment on my part. Hmmm?? Have we been guilty of creating Laodicea-type Christians?? Shouldn’t our churches be centers of service?
We have tried our traditional ways for some time now. Is it possible that our churches are not fulfilling their mission? Is it possible that we have been too focused on self and not enough on love? Shouldn’t we prayerfully considered new ways to “minister to those in need” (sub-title of this quarter’s lesson)? I fear our complacency in this matter is to our shame. A different culture exists around us. And we need to find ways to engage and live-out the eternal truth we have found. This is true worship. “To become a toiler, to continue patiently in well-doing which calls for self-denying labor, is a glorious work, which Heaven smiles upon. Faithful work is more acceptable to God than the most zealous and thought-to-be holiest worship. It is working together with Christ that is true worship. Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits, which are frequently tied on; but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for the needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits which grow naturally upon a good tree” (2 Testimonies pg. 24).
Let us follow our God. Let us beseech Him to help us to work as He works. Let us be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
With brotherly love,
Jim